Doctors Ignore Pain; Baby Born Brain Damaged

One of the most exciting times in a family’s life is the birth of a new baby. That excitement quickly turns to tragedy and heartbreak when the baby is not born healthy.

Such is the case for a couple we recently represented who were upset and devastated when their baby was born with cerebral palsy.

The mother had indicated to the doctors that she was in a lot of pain. In fact, she was suffering from a medical condition known as placental abruption. In this pregnancy complication, the placenta separates from the uterus; this typically occurs with late bleeding pregnancies.

Placental abruption has effects on both the baby and the mother. For the mother, the severity of the abruption blood clotting or hemorrhaging can lead to extreme pain and even death. For the baby, the severe shock of the condition can cause the child to be stillborn, have trouble breathing and eating or suffer brain damage due to lack of oxygen getting to the brain.

The signs that this mother was in distress were clear. Fetal monitoring strips suggested an issue. Even her own complaints of pain were brushed off as normal labor issues. While thoroughly investigating the medical records for their case, it was shown that the hospital failed to deliver our client’s baby correctly and in a timely manner to prevent these issues. As a result, the child will suffer developmental delays, seizures and neurological issues their entire life.

Sadly, medical negligence occurring before, during, or shortly after birth is far too common. Too often families are forced to face a future where their new loved one is severely disabled. As a result, parents of infants who have suffered birth injuries may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the delivering doctor, attending nurse(s), and hospital where the injury occurred. In a medical malpractice lawsuit, families can recover compensation for any economic or non-economic. Additionally the injured infant’s parents may be able to have their child enrolled in the MIF (Medical Indemnity Fund).

Did you recently give birth to an injured infant? If so, you may have grounds to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. For a free, no-obligation consultation with our birth injury lawyers, fill out our online review form or call us at (212) 406-1700. We welcome your call.